1.0 OVERVIEW 8 PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES REGIONAL COUNCIL 1.1 PURPOSE

• To ensure development will respect and enhance the natural, cultural and historical values of the Piha area open space environment. • To provide innovative, best-practice guidelines that engage and direct those involved in the design, development and future direction of the park.

The Design Guidelines Provide: a] A Decision Making Approach b] Best Practice Techniques c] Quality Design These guidelines are designed to assist The guidelines encourage new designs The document should help ARC Park ARC park rangers and agents employed to to blend with or complement the natural Rangers protect and add value to the park undertake development and maintainence landscape, be specific to the park and its and retain a high design standard that at Piha, to ensure the Piha open space character and maintain existing assets is suitable for the particular climate and environment is always considered. to appear natural. The deisgn Guidelines environmental conditions at Piha. encourage the use of CPTED principles.

d] Environmental Objectives e] Problem Solving f] Advice for Overcoming the Effects of Regional Parks are places where people can The process of improving and enhancing Increased Use enjoy relatively ‘untouched’ natural settings. park infrastructure and green assets on A steady increase in the popularity of the They are about informal recreation in large the park must be recognised as one that park has increased foot and vehicle traffic natural settings that offer respite from requires problem-solving. Park infrastructure and is placing pressure on some areas. The the stresses of everyday life. The overall is site-specific and therefore requires design guidelines will help to define good objective is to ensure these qualities are a thorough background knowledge of design for high-use areas. conserved and enhanced while continuing information, user-needs and operational to provide for the well-being of the visitors requirements, as well as advice from other and residents of Piha. staff, agencies, contractors and visitors.

g] A Checklist Approach h] A Working Document i] A Case Study of Good Design The design guidelines are designed to act To remain relevant within a changing By providing positive case studies of best as a checklist rather than a specification. environment, these guidelines aim to be a practice infrastructure design in the Piha This ensures the environmental context of a living document. To enable this, photographic area (and incentives to use the guidelines proposed development is considered before records of works completed, innovative to do so) this may have a lead on effect the final proposal is made. design and construction techniques can be that encourages the upgrade of assets filed in the sleeve provided at the end of this that are under management of public or document. private owners other than just the Auckland Regional Council.¹

1. “When a truly inappropriate style of architecture already exists in a park in which new work is contemplated, it is urged that the new buildings (or other structures) do not stubbornly carry on the old tradition. The best judgement available should be consulted to determine the style most appropriate to the area, and this then frankly and courageously launched. If the new style is a more appropriate one, it will prevail. Time will eliminate the earlier, inappropriately styled buildings (or other structures) for the ...contrasts they produce.” – United States Department of the Interior and National Parks Service (1938) Park and Recreation Structures, Princeton Architectural Press, New York

PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL 9 10 PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL 1.2 HOW TO USE

The Piha Area Design Guidelines are formatted to reflect the steps that should be taken by ARC officers and other design proffessionals when proposing works on regional parkland. These include:

Understand the overiding policy of regional parks:

PARKS MANAGEMENT PLAN SECTION 28.0 - Landscape

28.1 - Quality and Diversity To protect and enhance the intrinsic natural landscape values of regional parks

Understand the purpose of the design guidelines and the role of stakeholders: 1.0 THE OVERVIEW

Develop an understanding of the natural and cultural values of the Piha area: 2.0 THE ESSENCE

Identify the proposed location, undertake site analysis and propose an initial design with reference to the relevant design guideline section(s): 3.0 DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND DESIGN GUIDELINES 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8

BUILDINGS ROADS TRACKS SIGNS/ BARRIERS/ TABLES/ FLORA/ GREEN NOTICEBOARDS FENCES SEATING ASSETS

Analyse the proposed design against the relevant design guideline section(s) and any other factors: 4.0 OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

5.0 FUTURE DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS

Design accordingly

PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL 11 1.3 ROLE OF STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

Role of Auckland Regional Council, Council, Piha Community and Tangata Whenua

AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL of large blocks, were scattered around the perimeter of Waitakere Ranges Regional park land is owned and the Ranges. There was no unified vision. In 1941, managed by ARC. Piha is part of this larger park. The regional park network is part of a spectrum of metropolitan local bodies set up the Auckland Centennial public open spaces across the that Memorial Park Board, which was empowered to create a serve a range of recreational, ecological and amenity great “scenic park” in the Waitakere Ranges. It acquired purposes. One end of the spectrum comprises open land by gift, by purchase, and by the transfer of some space provided and managed by territorial local small Crown reserves. Notable among the gifts were authorities for local community and sub-regional those made by Mr Earle Vaile (270 hectares), Sir William needs including sporting facilities and local parks Goodfellow (71 hectares with a house) and the estate of and reserves. At the other end of the spectrum Sir Algernon Thomas (42 hectares). By 1964, there was are nationally significant open spaces owned by over 5200 hectares of Centennial Memorial Park land in the crown and managed by the Department of addition to the Waitakere Ranges parkland administered Conservation (DOC). by the Auckland City Council.

Regional parks sit in the middle of this spectrum. They In 1964 administration of the Auckland Centennial embody the region’s unique physical, ecological and Memorial Park and of the Waitakere Ranges water historical characteristics that are of national significance, catchment land was taken over by the newly created and provide for the recreational, cultural and social needs Auckland Regional Authority, which continued to enlarge of the regional population. Regional parks are held in the Centennial Memorial Park. In 1983, the City Council perpetuity for the purpose of protecting and preserving transferred the responsibility for its Waitakere Ranges their intrinsic values and for the enjoyment and use of parks to the Regional Authority. The Regional Authority current and future generations (refer to diagram on facing became the Regional Council in 1989, with responsibility page). for both theWaitakere Ranges Parkland and theWaitakere Ranges water catchment land. By a statute passed in HISTORY OF ARC WAITAKERE PARKLAND: 1992, the water catchment land was declared to be (Excerpt from the Piha history website http://www. regional parkland, subject to the operations of Watercare piha.co.nz) Services Ltd, which provides the regions bulk water ‘In 1894 Sir Algernon Thomas, the first professor of supply. By 1992 there were 8600 hectares of Waitakere geology and botany at Auckland University and a great Ranges land held as water catchment land.The Waitakere advocate of preserving the Waitakeres as a bush reserve, Ranges Regional Parkland now contains over 17,000 led a deputation to the Auckland City Council, asking it to hectares. persuade the Government to set aside 3,500 acres in the Nihotupu area. The Government heeded the request and HISTORY OF ARC PIHA PARKLAND: in 1895 vested the 3500 acres, and several smaller areas of Lion Rock passed from Maori ownership to Norman Waitakere Ranges land, in the City Council as “reserves for Russell Withiel Thomas and Acland Withiel Thomas the conservation of native flora and flora”. in 1941. At the same time the Thomas family gave to the Auckland City Council 100 acres of bush on Gifted land, purchases and vestings which had been the northern side of the Piha Valley running up to the made up to that time for conservation purposes, though ridge, as well as three acres of flat land on the north

12 PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL Open Space Spectrum:

FUNCTION OF OPEN SPACE

Neighbourhood and Sports fields and Regional Ecological habitats Large natural, Wildlife and marine ADMINISTERING local reserves recreation facilities recreational and and linkages scenic and historic reserves BODY coastal settings settings

Territorial local authorities 1 2 Auckland Regional Council 3 4 5 Department of Conservation 6 Private sector providers and trusts 7 8 1. Includes sub-regional parks such as the Auckland Domain 2. Includes esplanade reserves, covenented bush lots and reserves such as paremoremo Scenic Reserve 3. Local use of Regional Parks 4. Mt Smart Stadium 5. Whatipu Scenic Reserve 6. Limited recreation opportunities on DOC land, such as tramping and camping, eg. Motuihe Island 7. Private sports clubs, equestrian centres, and regional public open space operated by private trusts, such as Cornwall Park 8. High impact recreation in commercial forests, such as Woodhill Forest, and covenanted land on private property

side of the Piha Stream This all later became part of PIHA COMMUNITY the Auckland Centennial Memorial Park and hence The Piha community plays an important role in was transferred to the ARC. The land had belonged to defining the values and character of the Piha area. Sir Algernon Thomas. In 1963 the Thomas family gifted Comments, suggestions and design ideas from the Lion Rock land to the ARC.’ ARC then secured the the community have been incorporated into the purchase Piha Mill Camp (Stedfast Park) in August document from an open day held on 27 March 2007 from the Piha Boys’ Brigade Northern Regional 2010. ARC has provided informative presentations Trust. to the Piha Ratepayers and Residents Association throughout the process of developing these design ARC PARK RANGERS guidelines. It is expected Park Rangers will be the most regular user- group of this document through implementing new park SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PIHA AREA TO LOCAL IWI infrastructure and green assets on regional park land The iwi Te Kawerau a Maki hold strong cultural and at Piha. Their contribution to the usability, readability historical connections to Piha. Iwi play an important role and accessibility of the Piha Design Guidelines is vital to in ensuring the spiritual, archaeological and cultural ensure its success. heritage of the Piha area is a key driver in the design guidelines. (Refer to Section 4.5 for further information) WAITAKERE CITY COUNCIL Twenty four Piha reserves are managed by WCC and include a mixture of recreation reserves, scenic reserves, plantation reserves, accessways, and formed and unformed road. Waitakere City Council also provide services such as waste collection, road maintenance and hold a regulatory role as a consenting agency.

PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL 13 1.3 HISTORY OF THE PIHA AREA

MAORI Te Kawerau a Maki are the iwi or Maori tribe of the West Coast. Historically, large areas were cleared of forest along the coast so that Te Kawerau settlements could be better defended.

There were a number of Kawerau pa (fortified village) sites on the headlands and midden sites, terraces, pits, rock and cave shelters are evident across the Piha area. Maungaroa was the main pa on the ridge behind Seaview Road, Lion Rock the site of Whakaari pa, and Te Wahangu was on the headland at the north end of the beach. The hill to the south of The Gap was traditionally used by Te Kawerau a Maki fishing parties.

The large number of sites indicate that Piha was, at MILLING different times, home to large numbers of Maori. In 1910 an entrepreneurial Canadian with a flourishing Although there are a number of reports of Maori dental practice in Auckland took over Piha to mill occupation of Piha from the 1870s until the 1890s, this the kauri timber. Fred Rayner and his wife, Ethel, seems to have come to an end around the turn of the an American meat heiress, built the Piha Mill. Men century. Today, Te Kawerau a Maki descendants regard scoured the steep hillsides for trees which were felled themselves as holding ‘mana whenua’ or ‘traditional and brought down to the mill with bullock teams ownership’ of their Waitakere domains. They still own and a series of timber dams. To access trees further Taitomo Island (Camel Rock). Lion Rock is now owned by afield, a railway line was built into valleys to the north, the ARC. from where the logs were brought along a line on North Piha Beach to the mill in the engine A196. From EARLY FARMING Piha the timber was taken by hauler to neighbouring The Piha area was bought from the Maori in 1854 and Karekare then by a rail line along the coast to the allocated in crown grants to settlers. Two reserves were wharf at Whatipu. The mill closed in 1921 when all retained by Maori at Piha and Weketahi (North Piha). In the timber had been cut out. There are still remnants 1886, Dr William Stockwell bought both blocks having of the milling throughout the hills behind Piha, such previously leased them from the Maori owners. His as the Black Rock Dam. Many of these remnants are primary interest was the kauri timber although he never accessible by walking tracks. managed to cut it because of difficulty in getting it out. SURF LIFE SAVING CAMPING The Piha Surf life saving club was established in January From the late nineteenth century, Piha was also a popular 1934 and was the first surf club on the West Coast. Today holiday destination for campers and in the 1890s paid it performs the most rescues of any surf club in New accommodation became available at the Usshers’ farm Zealand and has achieved further recognition through and at Blowhole Bay (The Gap). the popular television programme ‘Piha Rescue’.

14 PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL SURFING When two US lifeguards turned up at Piha in 1958 they created a sensation. Piha surf club members were impressed by the possibilities of Malibu board riding. Piha is now a popular surfing destination. Good swells come from the south-west and the best wind from the east. The waves peel along a sandbar and surfers can often get long rides all the way into the centre of the beach.

1917

2005 Photos left to right: Cars, caravans and tents in PIha Campground December 1947 (COURTESY WHITES AVIATION ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY); Overlooking Piha - circa 1917 (COURTESY ALBERT PERCY GODBER PHOTOGRAPHS, ALEXANDERTURNBULL LIBRARY) ; Overlooking Piha - January 2005 (COURTESY AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL PHOTO LIBRARY); Piha Surf Life Saving Club (COURTESY PIHA SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB); Tram line used for transportation - circa 1915 APG-0665-1/2-G (COURTESY ALBERT PERCY GODBER PHOTOGRAPHS, ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY); Kauri Boom at Piha - circa 1915 APG-0825-1/2-G

PIHA AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES AUCKLAND REGIONAL COUNCIL 15